From Here On
by ANBU Inu
Summary: They weren't even sure how exactly they became friends or what led to their weekly tea, movie and manicure night. Or, if they were being honest, how their relationship would progress from here. Itasaku
1. Chapter 1

This is like a standard use of fanfiction, I wanted a storyline, so I wrote it.

* * *

They really weren't sure how their friendship started. Or even quite when.

They didn't even match up in the slightest, she was the young, dumb genius with a huge crush on his brother that crossed her off in his mind very quickly. He was the illustrious, genius Uchiha heir, with the highest A rank death count in the village in the last 5 years. But she grew up, was trained by the slug princess and forgot her crush on Sasuke. He grew older, his brother somehow managed to outgrow him, and he came to have even more deaths on his hands.

Maybe it was when she was paired with his ANBU team as a field medic and she single-handedly took out the enemy as her teammates lay incapacitated due to a airborne poison she had built up an immunity to. Maybe it was when he took a blow for her that knocked him unconscious for a week. Maybe it was when during that week she realized that he had a fatal disease that had been wearing him down for a year, and he had been avoiding check ups for two. And when she had spent the rest of that week without proper sleep finding a cure. How Mikoto had cried when Itachi open his eyes, completely whole, and he, in wonder that he could breath so clearly had stared at the pink haired medic who, exhausted, had fallen asleep in the corner of the room.

Maybe it didn't matter when it started, only that it did. And it grew every time Mikoto had made them begin a Thursday Team 7 dinner night, and made Sakura and Naruto come over. How the eighteen year old Sakura had punched Sasuke when he made a particularly pig-headed comment and Itachi had to stifle a chuckle. When he found out that her perfect academy score wasn't just for show, and she had a wit to match it that he hadn't been able to experience on serious, silent ANBU missions. On Sakura's side it was as she came to realize how thoughtful and attentive Itachi was. How he would clear the table and do the dishes with his mother. And how all of their ANBU team would find replacement kunai in their mailbox after they had broke one on a mission. And one night after everything had been cleared from the dinner, she realized what a great listener Itachi was.

In time they started to meet up outside of missions and family dinners. She came to learn some of his personal taijutsu style and how he kept his hair so beautiful all the time (a secret blend of oils she wasn't allowed to share with anyone else). He learned how to more efficiently use basic medical ninjutsu in a crisis and why she always smelled like cherry blossoms (a secret jutsu Tsunade had taught her). He knew of every boyfriend she had to beat off her genin team with a stick to date, and she knew of his general lack of interest in romance, due to intense fangirl harassment in his younger years.

One day a few weeks before her twentieth birthday, he came over to her apartment for their weekly tea, movie, and manicure night (to this day he still isn't sure how this became a thing, but he did appreciate having groomed nails that weren't as prone to breaking on missions). As he buffed and filed her nails she let out a huge sigh and slumped into her seat. He caught her eye and gave her a questioning look. She chuckled lightly and mumbled, "You could always say it out…" She slumped a bit more. "Itachi, I think I am done with dating. Guys are all butts, and I understand now why my shishou has reached her age still single."

"Didn't her love die in battle…"

"Shush, I'm complaining." He let out a wry smirk at that, as he moved to her other hand. She took a long drag of her oolong tea before continuing, "It's just not worth it to fight off my old teammates anymore. I'm almost twenty and I have dated and kissed like twenty guys. My mom always told me to try every flavor before deciding on one, but I am pretty sure I have by now and I am so done. Just going to become an old spinster because I have show off how strong I am all the time in order to date anyone because of your dumb brother and Naruto and eventually the boys get scared off." She leaned forward as he finished her other hand so she could do his nails now.

He stared intently at her face as she worked on his nails. "Well surely there has to be someone…"

"...out there for me?" she let out a laugh at that. "Itachi I stopped believing in soulmates when I actually convinced your brother to go on a date with me, and finally realized how incompatible we are. Though maybe my standards are too high to be happy... I mean they'd have to be at least as strong as you, and ninja as good as you are hard to come by. And if they are then normally they're already married to their genin sweetheart or something." She blew the dust off his nails before switching to his other hand.

"They've been pushing me to get married…" Itachi said slowly.

"The old Uchiha fart council? They've been saying that for years. But there is no one even on your radar, Itachi." She smiled as she reached for a strengthening clear coat to paint on his nails.

"What if there was?" She knocked the bottle over in her surprise.

"What? Itachi has girl? Spill." she pushed the nail stuff out of the way to start at him, ready for something juicy. "How'd you meet her?"

"Mission."

"Her favorite color?" 

"Red."

"Favorite thing to eat?"

"Sweets, with a particular taste for tempura."

"Rank?"

"ANBU."

"Age?"

"Nineteen, but turning twenty this year."

She whistled appreciatively. "She doesn't sound half bad. Do I know her?"

"Yes."

"What's her name?"

"You."

…

Sakura burst out in a full chested laugh, an unappreciative Itachi staring at her.

"Me? HAHAHA. Oh man. You know how to pick em. I would make the worst Uchiha ever." she gradually came to a chuckle, finding a stone faced Itachi staring at her. Her laughing cut off completely as a confused look took over her face. "Are you serious?"

"Deadly."

She rubbed her temples. "Itachi, should I remind you that I am a violent, not very womanly, pink-haired person with about the manners of a bull?"

"You do fine enough at the family dinners."

"You are serious. Itachi you are the clan heir, I would make a horrible clan head wife."

"That's your main concern with what I said?"

"Well you mentioned elders and marriage and… Itachi do you like actually like, like me?"

He gave her a blank stare.

"Say it."

"Yes."

Her confused expression deepened. "How many times have you seen me slobbering drunk over a breakup?"

"Not your most elegant moment, but enough to know you more than any other boy you've dated."

She was dumbfounded. He was silent as she mulled it over, simply grabbing the clear nail polish, taking her hand, and putting a layer of it on her nails. By the time he got to the ring finger of her left hand she pulled it away blushing.

"You've seen me naked." she whispered accusingly.

"As you've seen me." He countered reaching for her hand back.

"You're an ass."

"Your wit never ceases to astound me. Give me your hand."

"But you don't even like girls."

"Not particularly sexually, but I could see myself spending time with you just like this. Except maybe with more cuddling and kissing on occasion. Your hand, Sakura."

She gave him back her hand processing the new information. He watched as it clicked into place in her head about as he finished her last nail. His eyes narrowed suspiciously when she looked up with a devilish smile.

"How long have you been thinking about kissing me?"

"Approximately two months." he said in a deadpan voice.

She pouted. "Aww, you're no fun. You could at least blush or avoid it or something."

"As if I would do something that academy-like." he reached for his teacup and took a sip of his hugely sweetened pomegranate tea.

"Me, huh." she picked up her own cup of tea and stared into it's depths.

He watched her with a calm interest as she soaked in the information, before glancing at the dumb sitcom playing on the television. She looked back to him, at his too perfect profile, his beautiful hair, those eyes that were too serious ninety percent of the time, and she started imagining them together. She placed her cup down having made a decision. He turned back to her at the noise and found her lips upon his. His first ninja instinct might have been to punch her, but by the time he worked past that she pulled away, still close enough to breathe the same air. His eyes trailed down to her lips.

"Alright, still feeling it?" she asked, her own mind seemingly running calculations on the moment.

"Well, I pictured something more dramatic…" his eyes glanced up from her lips to her own.

"Rain falling, maybe one of us dying?" she offered.

"At least some rain." his eyes crinkled in humor. She chuckled at that. Then he glanced once more from her lips to her eyes as his eyes grew more serious. "Sakura, can I kiss you?"

The back of her neck heated up and she started to pull back. "Well, I mean I know that I didn't ask, which might have been in the wrong for me a little, but I figured since you were thinking about it maybe we could try it out and see how it goes and you'd realize I wasn't that great and…" he cleared his throat, she froze in her retreat and rambling. Then she nodded. He reached up and took her face in his hands a little awkwardly, and slowly brought their lips together once more. There he savored the feeling of their lips pressed together before realizing to himself that he didn't really have experience in what to do past here.

Fortunately for Itachi, Sakura stepped in, moving her lips against his. He closed his eyes to enhance his sense of touch and began to follow her lead, she guided his hand to her waist then placed her arms around his neck, pushing their bodies together. When they broke apart for air, the feelings that surprised Itachi the most in that moment were those of contentment and safety. He felt the need, greater than ever, to protect her. Amidst a rush of other feelings, Sakura's mouth curled into a smirk at being the more experienced one on a matter for once. When he buried his head into her neck she almost reconsidered that notion until he just rested there and breathed her in. She smiled as she smoothed his hair down. He sat there for a long moment before sitting up once more to look into her eyes.

"I want you forever." he whispered.

She chuckled a little, "Dating first." He nodded and proceeded to lean away from her and grab for her hand. "Are your nails still fine?"

He glanced down at his hand quickly before taking hers and inspecting her nails. "Seems all good."

"Good." she smiled, leaning into his side, the increased skin-ship she was already finding through this revelation was not appalling. Sakura smiled to herself as Itachi stroked her hair with his free hand. Maybe she could get used to this.

* * *

Ehehe, I haven't written fanfiction in so long, but I still look for new good Naruto fanfiction so often I figured I might as well try my hand at making what I wanted to read. 90% chance of this staying a one-shot, but with enough encouragement I could probably continue this, it will be an awkward courtship (a dynamic I enjoy between these two, for sure). Either way, I hoped you enjoyed reading it almost as much as I enjoyed writing it.


	2. Chapter 2

Standard use of fanfiction, I wanted a storyline, so I wrote it.

* * *

There was one large issue that was likely with dating Itachi Uchiha Sakura decided.

Between her busy schedule at the hospital with the rare mission and his near constant missions even their "weekly" manicure night together didn't always turn out. Finding time to go on a date with him seemed as though it would be a struggle. When he was called out on a mission the morning after that fateful manicure night she really wasn't hugely surprised, but she was a bit disappointed that it was one that would take him away for a month. However, since he kissed her before he set off on his journey despite the fact it was four in the morning and she looked like trash, she figured that they could work on the dating thing after. She had her work in the hospital and her teammates to distract her in the meantime.

And quite the distraction she found them to be, Itachi and continuing to explore their newfound relationship, remained in the back of her mind, filed next to her plans to take a vacation and other things that weren't possible right now.

She had only mentioned the fledgling relationship to Ino because she knew the blonde would have her head if she wasn't the first to know. Sakura made an extra effort to swear Ino to silence because she didn't want the Uchiha clan planning her wedding to Itachi just yet. She just knew that if Mikoto caught a whiff of this she would have her wedding kimono bought before Sakura got a say in it.

Not telling Naruto and Sasuke had only been partly intentional. She didn't want them kicking up a big fuss before she knew how this relationship would progress after all, even if Itachi could knock them to the next Tuesday, which would give them time to take things slowly. But even with that pleasant thought in mind, at first she chose not to tell them, then it wasn't at the forefront of her mind so it never came up to tell them.

* * *

It was a day when she knew that Itachi would be coming back any time, the timely person he was. However, that wasn't too much of a concern, since she knew she'd see him eventually.

She had her Team 7 boys over for a rare dinner at her place, her evening had been free and all three of her boys were in town after all. She had done her best at creating okonomiyaki for all of her boys, and she had only burned and disposed of maybe two of them. A success if she said so herself.

"I still can't believe that you can stick ramen in one of these!" Naruto yelled, as he always did.

"That's not ramen you idiot, that's yakisoba." Sasuke muttered, enjoying his own which was made with extra tomato.

"You want to know what else is going to look like ramen if you don't shut up and stop ruining my hopes and dreams-"

"Maa, settle down boys." Kakashi turned the page in the latest Icha Icha book, Icha Icha Torment. He was enjoying the significantly more kinky turn this novel had taken the series. He snuck food through his mask like always.

"I'm just glad to know there's a way to sneak a vegetable or two into you Naruto!" Sakura laughed as she enjoyed another bite of her own okonomiyaki. She had stuck extra shrimp in hers and enjoyed how they tasted amid the okonomiyaki batter, mayo, and sauce.

Sakura's head snapped up when she heard a polite knocking at the door. She reached out with her chakra to see who it was and with a smile she went to answer it.

She pulled the door open as the boys stared confusedly at the visitor at the door, this was their time with Sakura. "Itachi, you're ba-"

Itachi pulled on her arm and after a quick "I'm home." planted a kiss on her lips. To say Sakura was surprised he would kiss her in front of her team already would be true, however, the fiery aura behind her was not surprising. It was scarcely a peck really, that quickly transitioned into a hug pulling her close. "I missed you."

She heard a pair of chopsticks snap behind her.

"LET GO OF HER YOU- YOU- CHILD SNATCHER." Naruto roared, throwing his broken chopsticks aside.

Itachi pulled Sakura in tighter and focused his eyes on Naruto as he placed his chin firmly on Sakura's head. "Last I checked both Sakura and I are consenting adults."

"WELL YOU-"

Sakura grabbed a piece of candy from a bowl next to her door and expertly chucked it into Naruto's wide open mouth without looking. He squawked disgruntedly then coughed a couple times. She calmly pushed away from Itachi and turned around to face her boys. Sasuke and Kakashi had not said anything as of yet but their disapproving glares towards Itachi said they were one in mind with Naruto.

"You get five questions." Sakura said calmly as Naruto continued recovering from the candy attack.

"When did this start?" came from Sasuke.

"The night before your brother left on his mission."

"Speaking of that, my nails need help, Sakura." Itachi mumbled, taking her hand. Kakashi and Sasuke's eyes went straight to the connected hands. Sakura cleared her throat, returning their attention to her.

"Did he genjutsu you into this Sakura? ARE YOU OKAY?" Naruto had obviously recovered.

"Naruto, you really think Itachi, one of the most straight-laced ninja around would do that to get someone to date him?" Sakura raised an eyebrow at her near-brother.

"Well he's dating someone, which I never thought was possible for the king of asexuals, so everything I know is a lie." Naruto crossed his arms, plotting how to separate the two by bodily force. "But anyways, he could be making you say that, shoot, what's something only the real Sakura would know."

"Why do I hide my face?" Kakashi finally piped in.

"WHAT YOU'VE SHOWN HER YOUR FACE KAKASHI-SENSEI? NO FAIR!" Naruto's attention was diverted by travesty of it all.

"Naruto be quiet before I throw you out the door and off the third story. It's a trick question. He doesn't even have a real reason for hiding his face." Sakura's fist balled up at her side.

"Kakashi-sensei, weren't you an ANBU with Itachi at some point? Could he know that? Is it really Sakura?"

Sasuke smacked the back of Naruto's head, his Sharingan activating as he checked Sakura for any trace of genjutsu. As expected, there was nothing. "She's clean Naruto. Still doesn't explain why you're dating, aniki? You've never..."

"I've never indeed." Itachi stated calmly. "It's the first time I've wanted to."

"Sakura, will you be happy with him?" Kakashi asked.

"I mean we are just starting out, but I expected more threats from you of all people to be honest?"

"Well, we could take Itachi out like the other disappointments you've dated if the three of us worked together, but if you worked with Itachi our chances would go down dramatically. Besides, out of most shinobi I know, Itachi's alright." Kakashi, crossed his arms, glancing up from his novel that he hadn't read a word of since Itachi's arrival.

"He's more than alright, he's an Uchiha and my brother." Sasuke glared at Kakashi like he had offended the whole Uchiha line.

"WHAT? YOU GUYS ARE REALLY GIVING IN ALREADY?" Naruto yelled. Sakura flash-stepped, grabbing Naruto by the collar, and flashed stepped back to the doorway, throwing Naruto off the floor.

"NARUTO BE QUIET YOU'RE DISTURBING MY NEIGHBORS!"

Itachi, who had wisely stepped aside to allow for the blonde's ejection from the apartment, couldn't stop a small, amused smile from appearing on his face as his intended surely also disturbed her neighbors.

Sasuke gasped seeing the smile on his brother's face. "You really do like her or something? Oh my God, Sakura's going to be my sister-in-law. How will I survive? How will the Uchiha clan go on?"

"Calm down! We're not getting married! We haven't even been on a real date yet!"

"Reminds me, I must go now to tell my mother I've returned safely and rest, but Sakura are you free the next few days? I won't be assigned any new missions until the end of this week, at the earliest."

"I am sure I can find some time. I'll contact you."

Itachi kissed the top of her connected hand before releasing it and disappearing into the night. Naruto stumbled through the door, having climbed the three flights of stairs to her apartment. Sakura ignored him for favor of returning to her seat and her now cold okonomiyaki.

"1000 ryo they will be married by the end of the year." Kakashi sipped on his cup of tea, his okonomiyaki having been somehow finished during that conversation.

"No way."

"Thank you Sasuke, I don't know why you would think to bet on tha-"

"Once my mother knows they will be married within three months."

"Sasuke!"

"Well I am not betting…" Naruto crossed his arms as he returned to his seat, his eyes landing on his ruined chopsticks as he considered how much trouble he would be in if he just started digging in to the rest of his okonomiyaki with his hands.

"Naruto, I can't believe you are the voice of reason in-"

"On anything but that they will break up within a month because Itachi is tired of how violent Sakura is."

Sakura's fist flared with chakra.

* * *

And that's the first encounter with team 7. There are so many possible shenanigans to write about! Still have to get to their first real date, Mikoto finding out, etc. etc. I have no clue how all that will turn out exactly but I hope it's all entertaining.

Let me know what you want to see still! That helped motivate me to actually continue this trash fic, lol


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